1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to virtual computer processes, and specifically to associating an identifier with each of a plurality of processes comprising a virtual process.
2. Background of Invention
With the popularity and success of the Internet, server technologies are of great commercial importance today. Typically, an individual server application executes on a single physical host computer, servicing client requests. However, providing a unique physical host for each server application is expensive and inefficient. Hosting services are often provided commercially by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Typically, an ISP has to provide a separate physical host computer on which to execute a server application for every customer that purchases hosting services. Often, a customer purchasing hosting services from an ISP will neither require nor be amenable to paying for use of an entire host computer. Generally, only a fraction of the processing power, storage, and other resources of a host computer will be required to meet the needs of an individual customer.
It is desirable for an ISP to be able to provide multiple server applications on a single physical host computer. However, in order to be commercially viable, every server application would have to be isolated from every other server application running on the same physical host. Obviously, it would be unacceptable to customers of an ISP to purchase hosting services, only to have another server application program (perhaps belonging to a competitor) be able to access the customer's data and client requests. Thus, each server application program would have to be isolated, receiving requests from only its own clients, transmitting data to only its own clients, and being prevented from accessing data associated with other server applications. Furthermore, it would be necessary to allocate varying specific levels of system resources to different server applications, depending upon the needs of and amounts paid by the various customers of the ISP. In effect, each server application would need to comprise a virtual private server, simulating a server application executing on a dedicated physical host computer.
Such functionality has been heretofore impossible because a virtual private server, rather than comprising a single, discrete process, must be made up of a plurality of seemingly unrelated processes, each performing various elements of the sum total of the functionality required by the customer. Because each virtual private server must comprise a plurality of processes, it has been impossible for an ISP to isolate the processes associated with one virtual private server from those processes associated with other virtual private servers. What is needed is a method whereby the individual ones of pluralities of separate processes comprising multiple, virtual private servers can each be associated with their respective virtual private server.